Answering some key Blackhawks questions for the stretch run
With the Blackhawks enjoying a four-day break in the schedule, let's answer a few questions that may be on your mind.
Q: Will Corey Crawford start every game until Scott Darling returns?
A: Almost definitely.
Darling will miss about three weeks with an upper-body injury he suffered last Friday, so Crawford will be backed up by 31-year-old Jeff Glass, who played in the KHL from 2009-16. The Hawks close the regular season with a crazy stretch of 17 games in 31 days, but only play on back-to-back nights once - Thursday against Anaheim and Friday at Detroit.
So Crawford should be able to handle the load.
"This time of the year, he likes a lot of action in the net," said coach Joel Quenneville, who lost Crawford to an upper-body injury for 10 of the last 11 games last season. "Darls has been in the position this year where you don't have to worry about playing Crow as much. But now he's got a good chance to get that net (and) get more ice time … so he's going to get that opportunity and hopefully he just keeps getting better here."
Crawford is 8-1-0 in his last nine games but is allowing 2.54 goals per game over that stretch, which ranks 16th among goalies with at least 21 appearances.
Q: How tough will the competition be among the bottom six forwards down the stretch?
A: Tough. Very tough.
The recent addition of Tomas Jurco has created a roster logjam and will force players to step up their game to stay in the lineup.
To this point, Dennis Rasmussen (healthy scratch three of last four) has been most affected by the addition of Jurco. After practice Monday, Quenneville deemed Rasmussen's play "ordinary for him," opening the door for Jordin Tootoo and Andrew Desjardins.
"Toots came in and did a tremendous job - whether it was in Dallas or Nashville - (and) really added an element to our team game," Quenneville said. "So he enhanced his positioning and his ice time. And Desi came in and has played well. … There's some competition now."
And the competition will get stiffer if Tyler Motte and Vinnie Hinostroza rejoin the team for the postseason.
"There's about six or seven guys that are probably going to be in that boat," Quenneville said.
Q: Who is the Hawks' MVP and unsung hero?
A: I completely forgot to unveil the results of this poll I ran on Twitter a couple of weeks ago, so here they are:
MVP - Corey Crawford prevailed with 38 percent of the 700 votes. Patrick Kane (33 percent) finished second, followed by Marian Hossa (21) and Artem Anisimov (8).
Unsung hero - With 382 people voting, Niklas Hjalmarsson (32 percent) squeaked ahead of Ryan Hartman (30). Scott Darling (23 percent) and Richard Panik (15) also had solid support.
Q: What are the biggest games left on the schedule?
A: The Hawks are nipping at Minnesota's heels and trying to claim their first division title since the 2012-13 campaign. The five contests you absolutely should not miss:
• Sunday vs. Minnesota. A win by the Hawks in this nationally televised affair would go a long way in planting doubt with a Wild team that must wonder if it has what it takes to get past Chicago in the playoffs. Would it also start a mild tailspin for Bruce Boudreau's team? If so, the Hawks could claim the Central and the No. 1 seed in the West.
• Tuesday, March 14 at Montreal. Two days after facing the Wild, the Hawks face a red-hot Canadiens squad riding a five-game win streak into Tuesday's game at Vancouver.
• Wednesday, March 29 at Pittsburgh. The defending champs will be out to avenge their 4-1 loss at the United Center last week.
• Thursday, April 6 at Anaheim. The Ducks are in a dogfight with Edmonton and Calgary for the second, third and fourth spots in the Pacific. Whichever team ends in fourth will likely face the Sharks in the first round.
• Saturday, April 8 at Los Angeles. The regular-season finale. Imagine if this determines the winner of the Central AND whether the Kings make the playoffs. Let's hope it's both because that would be one fun game to watch.